Requiem
by solidorliquid
Summary: AU: DerrisKharlan's army is waiting at Sylvarant's gates to start the war. Lloyd and Zelos, now friends, fight together to save the one they both love, Colette. Will they succeed or will the King of DK get what he finally wants?
1. Enemy Encounter

**Requiem**

_Enemy Encounter_

**Disclaimer: **_No I don't own Tales of Symphonia, just this storyline._

**Warnings:**_ None so far…_

**Dedications:**_ Sheenachi, for being the first to read my fics since the very beginning, no matter how much they sucked to me. This is my way of saying thank you! Arigato, and once again HAPPY BIRTHDAY!_

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_In a world where everything seems peaceful, three nations are on the brink of war. The most peaceful nation, Sylvarant, is loosing its supplies due to heat and loss of trade from its neighboring towns. In Tethe'alla, the wealthiest nation, everything seems to be going fine except that the heir to the throne has no wife so he cannot take his position as King. _

_The darkest nation, Derris-Kharlan, has always wanted to be the top nation. They make no allies, and when they attack, they spare no one. However, according to the prophecy, one person will be able to establish peace and prosperity throughout the world once and for all…_

Lloyd Irving quickly walked through his town, forcing his way through all of the people trying to sell him things. The heat of the sun was bearing down on him, even as he walked throughwhat was supposed to be coolshade. It seemed as if this summer had a record high on the heat temperature. Farmers had less to sell to the town and the people were limited to food and supplies. Acres of crops had been lost on the outskirts of town due to the heat, causing the crops to wilt and die. Other towns farther away also had a loss of supplies. All of the towns had built a trading system. Now that they had nothing to give to each other, the system was failing. It was said that their King was going to seek help in the nation of Tethe'alla. What he was planning, no one knew.

Lloyd stepped through the rusted gates of his town onto the long stretch of the flat fields. In the distance, he spotted his destination, Sylvarant Castle. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled long and high. The wind carried the sound throughout the town and through the woods beyond it. A giant white and green dog came bounding out of the field. He was about the size of a miniature horse, and his ears were a mixture between the long droopy ears and the short perky ones, making them stick out straight.

Lloyd climbed onto the soft back of the dog. After talking to him a bit and rubbing his neck, Lloyd urged him to break into a run. In order to get to the town surrounding the castle, they would need to cross the field, which was inhabited by monsters. The dog was afraid of monsters, so Lloyd always talked to him before they crossed the field.

He had to get to the town before nightfall. Once the sun set, the city would pull up the drawbridge as a safety measure. A moat surrounded the city along with a tall concrete wall. There would also be guards lined up at the top of the wall in case of invasion. Most of them were archers, but a select few were there to light a fire to warn the city if they had bad company. They knew Lloyd well since his visits were not limited, and would most likely let him in at night, but he didn't want to take the risk.

Lloyd tried to rush the dog as the rays from the sun dimmed. They whipped past trees and through bushes across the short grass of the field, having an unofficial race with the dark shadow that would soon cover the land. Curious eyes from unseen creatures watched them through the leaves and bushes. Lloyd knew they were watching him because the hair on the back of his neck rose and the dog panicked and ran faster. As the town grew closer, the sun went lower in the horizon and the light continued to grow dimmer. He spotted the torches that hung beside the drawbridge. He was now in the giant shadow of the wall and could hear the water running in the moat.

Suddenly, the wind grew still and the water stopped running, making an eerie stillness. In front of Lloyd the earth started to rise. A skeleton popped out of the ground equipped with armor, a sword, and a shield. The dog came to a halt, throwing Lloyd off him.Lloyd quickly did a flip in the air and landed on his feet. Once on the ground, he turned and noticed that his dog was running back in the direction of his town. How could he leave like that?

"Noishe!" He called. Noishe didn't hesitate, evenwhen Lloyd called him, and continued running. He became smaller as he retreated into the distance at a high speed. He finally disappeared over a hill and had no desire of returning.

Lloyd rolled out of the way as the skeleton swung at him with its sword. Grounded, Lloyd yanked his two swords out of their sheaths from his sides. The grass underneath the skeleton died as it stepped closer to Lloyd. It reeked terribly, and Lloyd did not desire to find out what the smell was, even though he could probably guess.He wasn't going to wait for it to make its first move. He dove forward thrusting his sword into the chest of the skeleton. The skeleton looked down at the sword and laughed at Lloyd's mere attempt to kill it. Lloyd pulled out his sword and backed up. He was used to seeing monsters, but none of them had taken the form of a skeleton before. He hadn't even heard of a monster like this from any of his fellow townsfolk.

A bright light behind Lloyd distracted him and the skeleton. The ball of light whizzed past him and hit the skeleton causing a blinding flash. The ground around the skeleton burst into a white fire. It seemed as if the fire had dancing figures of angels in it. Suddenly all of the angels stood up and faced the skeleton with what seemed to be bows and arrows. After a brief moment, they let go of their arrows and all of them hit the skeleton causing another bright flash. After the flash disappeared, Lloyd saw that smoking ashes were the only remains of the skeleton. The dead grass returned to normal and the wind and water returned to their original state.

The galloping of a horse caught Lloyd's attention and he spun around with his swords ready. The horse was pitch black with mist surrounding it. A sudden cold wave fell over Lloyd and hissight became weary.A hooded figure was mounted on the horse's back. His face was not visible in any way, even if the sun was shining directly on him. A permanent shadow hung over him, giving off an evil feeling. A black sword hung from the saddle along with a bow and a quiver of arrows. The figure looked down at Lloyd as he slowed the horse to a stop inches away from Lloyd. Lloyd took a couple steps back with his swords still in his hands. He shook uncontrollably from the feeling coming from the man.

The feeling became stronger and overwhelmed Lloyd, but he wasn't about to sink to his knees to such evil. Lloyd stood firm on the ground as a dark cloud swirled around him. Millions of insects started to crawl out of the ground and make their way onto Lloyd. Everything turned to darker colors, and red lightning struck the ground from the now dark clouds. Lloyd finally realized what was happening when he glanced at the man who didn't even seem to be phased by what was happening. "ENOUGH!" Lloyd yelled. The illusion disappeared in a whirl of dark colors and zoomed back to the hooded rider.

"You're the first to break through my illusion. Is it because you are skilled, or is it simply that you are stubborn?" A deep voice asked calmly. The voice had taken Lloyd by surprise as it came from the hooded man. He had never expected such a calm and gentle voice to come from someone who looked as if he was from a nightmare. Lloyd kept a tight grip on his swords and refused to answer the man who had just put him through the worst thing he had ever experienced. The man sighed. "Put your swords away. I do not wish to harm you."

"I don't trust you after what you just did to me! Plus, when someone says that, I always look at it as a way to make me an easier target." Lloyd replied coldly to the man. He tightened his grip on his swords as he felt the man's eyes bearing down on him.

"Fine, do as you will." He replied in the same calm voice. Lloyd eyed him suspiciously, wondering why he had been saved from the skeleton and why he wasn't being attacked again. The man seemed to be from Derris-Kharlan, the worst nation on the world. It was an enemy to everyone and had no allies. Anyone that tried to make an alliance with them either ended up dead, or became their prisoners for life. Their army of their strongest men always rode on pitch-black horses and their riders wore hooded cloaks. It was said that they made people relive any terror they had ever faced, but would make it ten times worse.

"A Skulltered is an enemy that is an expert at swordsman ship and defense. Human made weapons will not even phase the creature. It cannot be killed because it is already dead." The man said, interrupting Lloyd's thoughts on him and changing the subject.

"Then how did you kill it?" Lloyd asked arrogantly, still keeping his eyes on the man.

"It is a creature of darkness. I simply used a light spell." He quickly replied. That explained why Lloyd saw angels, but why would someone like him have the ability to use such a spell? "You cannot kill it with weapons such as the ones you possess."

The drawbridge behind them started to rise as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. The darkness spread over the land immediately, making the situation even worse. Lloyd and the hooded man continued to stare at each other. The horse grew restless and stomped its foot on the ground as the drawbridge finally closed. Everything suddenly seemed to be dead and quiet. The sunset had only enhanced the eerie feeling coming from the man. Finally, Lloyd couldn't take it anymore.

"Why are you here anyway? You're from Derris-Kharlan, right?" Lloyd blurted out sternly. He glared at the man as he waited for an answer. He hoped it would be a long one, too.

"Yes, that is correct." He replied staring down at the boy. Once Lloyd opened his mouth again, the man continued. "I do not feel the need to explain myself to a stranger, much less a child."

"I'm no child!" Lloyd yelled at him. This was the first time that he had really been angry with anyone. Lloyd glared at the man. In reply, the man simply chuckled and turned his horse around.

"If Sylvarant and Derris-Kharlan ever break out into a war, I wish to meet you on the battlefield. However, I do not need to wish…" He turned and looked at Lloyd. "Because I know that a war will break out very soon. I will see you then." With that, the man nudged the horse in the side with his heel and galloped off. Lloyd stared after him in confusion as he sheathed his swords. How could that man know if a war was going to break out?

One of the guards watching on the wall whistled to get Lloyd's attention. Lloyd looked up at the guard who was staring back at him with a questionable look. Lloyd shrugged in reply ending their silent conversation. The guard nodded, then made an invisible circle in the air above his head. The drawbridge steadily lowered. After it landed on the ground with a clunk, Lloyd stepped onto it. Walking over it, he entered the city of Sylvarant.

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**Author's Note:**_ Yay! I'm so happy with the way the first chapter turned out! I hope you all liked it because that's not even the beginning. : )_

_Of course, I'm not going to tell what the actual plot line is though. You'll just have to read on! I think I'm gonna like this fic more than _The World of Gestalt. _Oh and just so you guys know and have a better picture of the surroundings, the way that I have the castle and towns laid out in my mind is exactly like _Zelda: Ocarina of Time_. Then the hooded dude is supposed to look sort of like the _Ring Wraiths_ on _Lord of the Rings_. I guess some of you probably got that, and some didn't._

_Anyway, I got the idea for this fic when I passed the Arch in St. Louis on my way up to Wisconsin. Weird, isn't it?_

_**Akako-chan,** no I am not copying your AU idea. It's a lot different if you couldn't tell. Nevertheless, I would never have thought of this if it hadn't been for your AU fic, so ARIGATO: )_


	2. Deepest Fear and a Real Nightmare

**Requiem**

_Deepest Fear and a Real Nightmare_

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Tales of Symphonia._

**Warnings:**_ None._

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"Eh, Lloyd? You planning on seeing the Princess tonight?" The guard asked as he welcomed Lloyd into the city.

"Yeah." Lloyd replied as the guard pulled a lever which caused the drawbridge to raise slowly. After the bridge was up all the way, the guard turned around to face Lloyd while wiping sweat off his forehead.

"You know the rules Lloyd. Not after nightfall. Security measures, you understand? Even if you are known real well with the royal family, we just can't let you in the castle. Especially tonight with all of those bloody Derrans running in and out of here." The guard started to look worried when he mentioned this. Realizing that Lloyd was watching him, he smiled and changed the subject. "So, what is it this time?"

Lloyd pulled a letter out of his pocket. It had been sealed with the royal crest, but the seal was now broken since Lloyd had read the letter. "The Princess summoned me. Said it was an urgent matter." He replied worridly to the guard. The guard held out his hand to recieve the letter and read it. Lloyd handed it over without hesitation. The guard unfolded it and silently read it, his eyes sweeping back and forth while looking down at the paper. He finally folded it back up and handed it to Lloyd.

"I'll get you there first thing in the morning. If you'd like, I'll pay for the expense if you stay at the inn. It'd be too dangerous to go back out now. Especially with you encountering that fellow and all."

"Sure, thanks." Lloyd replied. After thinking for a moment, he started the conversation back up with a different topic. "By the way, you said that Derrans have been entering here. Why?" Lloyd asked concerned. The guard looked away for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he should tell Lloyd. Reaching his decision, he faced Lloyd.

"The King of Derris-Kharlan wants Sylvarant to surrender to him, or he'll attack. He doesn't come in person though, he always sends his hooded messengers. I hate letting them in. They're absolutely horrible!" The guard said, adding disgust to last few lines.

"So then the guy I saw out there must have been one of the messengers." Lloyd stated. The guard nodded at him. "But he said that there would soon be a war. Wait! Are we... Did the King..." Panic grew in Lloyd's voice. He didn't need the guard to answer him. He already knew what he was going to say.

"The King didn't surrender, but instead insulted Derris-Kharlan's King. We'll be at war with them by the end of the week." The guard said slowly verifying Lloyd's deepest fear. "Every man within the Sylvarant area who's old enough to use a sword will be summoned to fight. I'm sorry Lloyd."

Lloyd looked down at the ground, which now seemed to be swirling. He grabbed hold of a nearby post the keep himself from falling over. He would have to fight against the most terrifying nation before the week was over. And he would most likely... die.

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He gazed up at the ceiling of his room, while laying flat on his on the bed. Not too long ago, the guard had helped Lloyd get to the inn so he could rest. But he wouldn't sleep. How could he? His fate had already been decided and he had hardly been able to live the life he wanted. Although his true dream would never come true. A commoner and a Princess... Ha! It was forbidden and even mentioning it would almost get you thrown in jail.

He loved the Princess, but he had never been allowed to express it. Never. He would live in loneliness. Not that it mattered now. He was going to die soon, and he accepted it. He'd rather die that to live to the day when he would have to see his beloved Princess wrapped in the arms of a Prince that she could never love. The only way he coul look at it, they were both damned.

Lloyd sat up as a ray of sunlight seeped through the window and drifted onto the floor. It was the morning, he could see her now. Even if the sun had just risen, it was still the morning and the guard promised he would get him to the castle first thing. Lloyd jumped out of his bed and rushed out of the inn to get to the guard.

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The doors of the castle were pushed open by the guards who were guarding it. The guard from the night before patted Lloyd on the shoulder from behind. "See you later." He walked down the steps of the castle and passed through the gate which was being guarded by even more guards. Lloyd stepped inside the castle, and the doors closed behind him.

To his surprise the King and the Princess were already up. She sat next to the King in the chair the Queen would normally have been sitting in. She had lost her mother when she was young, but it had been so long ago that she didn't even remember her. She looked up when Lloyd entered. Her blonde hair rested loosely on her shoulders, and her blue eyes gazed at him with fear. She didn't greet him with the happy smile she usually did. She quickly looked away from Lloyd as she say the disappointment on his face.

Lloyd then noticed something that he hadn't before. Kneeling on one knee before the King and the Princess, was a man. His long red hair ended with curls just above his waist line. He was wearing expensive clothing. Lloyd guessed that he was royalty. He couldn't see the man's face since he was facing the King. Suddenly, the King said something that made Lloyd's heart stop.

"Well then Prince Zelos. I grant you my daughter's hand in marriage for the peace of our two lands." The King said with a smile.

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**Author's Note:**_ Now we're finally getting to Zelos and Colette. Whew, that took awhile for me to come up with. I think I'll take a breather before continuing. Please Review!_


	3. The Angry Prince

**Requiem**

_The Angry Prince_

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Tales of Symphonia… Poo! I'd like to own it though… Oh well…_

**Warnings:**_ Just the usual, ZelxCol and LloydxCol… nothing new._

**Dedications:**_ Sheenachi!_

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Lloyd stood dumbstruck; staring at the scene that had been laid before him. He watched as Zelos took Colette's and gently kissed it. She did not dare look Zelos in the eye. She was afraid that Zelos would take it as if she liked him. Colette stared at the wall helplessly, ignoring Zelos' comments about her and the kingdom that they would soon rule. Lloyd could not understand why, or rather, would not accept why. After being disgusted with the scene, Lloyd marched up to the King's throne and stood beside Zelos, paying no attention to him.

"Your Majesty. Why are you forcing Colette to marry this inconsiderate idiot?" Lloyd protested. Zelos stood up and glared at Lloyd, then looked up at the King waiting for the King to defend him.

"Oh, Lloyd! This is how we can solve our loss of supplies. With Colette marrying Prince Zelos, we will have a trade agreement with Tethe'alla and we will share our supplies." The King replied, with a fake cheeriness. His face suddenly changed, and he looked resentfully down at Lloyd. "It is a sacrifice Colette and I will both have to make."

"Your Majesty! I have just been insulted by a commoner and you call all of this a sacrifice! You should stand up for your future son-in-law, and she should be glad to have me as a husband. Any other girl would give up everything to be with me!" Zelos stammered angrily. He glared up at the King, ignoring the disgusted look that Colette was giving him.

"Colette is not just 'Any other girl'!" Lloyd shouted at Zelos as the King opened his mouth to reply to Zelos. "I don't see why all the girls would supposedly like you! You're a stuck up jerk! I bet that even if you were married, you would still sleep around with all of the other women that came onto you."

Zelos turned and punched Lloyd in the face, knocking him down the steps and onto the floor below. The King snapped his fingers and two guards restrained Zelos and pulled him toward the door. "This won't be the last time you see me commoner! They can't do anything to me outside the city walls so you'd better watch your back!" Zelos threatened and the guards pulled him through the doors. After the doors closed behind Zelos, Colette jumped out of her chair and rushed to Lloyd. The King followed her, and held out his hand to help Lloyd up. Lloyd reached out, grasped the King's hand, and stood up.

"Lloyd! You're bleeding!" Colette said worriedly pulling out a cloth and placing it over Lloyd's bleeding nose. "Hold it there and I'll be back." Colette ordered. Lloyd obeyed and positioned his hand over the cloth on his nose. The white cloth was now stained with Lloyd's blood, and the stain continued to slowly grow larger.

"Lloyd, I'll have you know. If it was possible, I would have you marry Colette instead of Zelos." The King stated as soon as Colette was out of hearing distance.

Lloyd's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. For some reason, he felt guilty for what was going to happen to Colette. She would be forced to marry Zelos, and when the King died, Lloyd would more than likely be forbidden to see her again. "Thas bery ashureng, vut eet vwil neber habben." (That's very assuring, but it will never happen.) Lloyd said, trying hardest to reply in English.

When the King was about to say something, Colette came rushing back into the room carrying a wet cloth, and some ice. She motioned Lloyd to move his hand, and then wiped the blood away from his face. After the blood was gone and his nose stopped bleeding, Colette forced Lloyd to put ice on it. It wasn't until later that afternoon until Lloyd could talk like a normal human being.

"I'm sorry you got hurt because of me Lloyd. That shouldn't have happened. It's all my fault, I'm sorry." Colette apologized.

"You don't have to apologize. You're not at fault, that Zelos guy is." Lloyd said, trying to assure her. Colette's expression did not change and she seemed as if she was angry with herself. Lloyd sighed, then decided to change the subject. "I better get back to Iselia before the sun starts to set. My dad is probably worried about me since I didn't come home last night."

"Lloyd, before you go." The King said.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Lloyd replied, waiting for an answer so he could head back to Iselia.

"Call me Frank when it's just us." The King demanded. "I thought that you should know that we are going to war with Derris-Kharlan soon. I'm afraid you will have to participate in it." He said sadly.

"I know. Don't feel bad about it. I accept my fate, and I'll fight until my last breath escapes my body." Lloyd replied.

Frank looked surprised, then nodded slowly. Lloyd waited for a brief moment to see if anyone had anything left to say. When no one said anything, Lloyd turned and headed toward the doors. The guards pushed the doors open for him. Lloyd paused again, hoping that someone would stop him, but when nothing happened, he exited the castle.

Crestfallen, Lloyd walked silently through the town of Sylvarant. He watched as people ran around with their own business. Whenever he saw couples, he slipped further into depression. Finally he reached the drawbridge and as he started to cross it, someone called from behind him.

"Hey you… er… I mean… Lloyd! Wait up!" the voice demanded. Lloyd turned around thinking it was someone important. It was someone important, but when Lloyd laid his eyes upon him, he was filled with rage and drew his swords.

"Zelos! What the hell do you want now!"

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**Author's Note:**_ I know, I know. Zelos is way out of character… in this chapter. Hehehe! I have a reason for all of the stuff that's happening now. When I was writing this, the electricity in my house went out and shut off my computer. I was really pissed off until I came back to Microsoft Word and it said "Document Recovered." Then I cooled off, because I wouldn't have to rewrite it. The first time I write things, the better they are. Is anyone else like that? _

_Anyway, I just got Maaya Sakamoto's CD Hotchpotch and I love it! I especially like her song Sea of Miracles. I first heard it on the second season of Record of Lodoss War. That's a Japanese anime for those of you who don't know. I gotta say that they song completely fits in with the series. _

_Please review! _


	4. A Wrong First Impression

**Requiem**

_A Wrong First Impression_

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Tales of Symphonia. And it is probably a good thing I don't too. I would have probably given Yggdrasill a bazooka…Lloyd would have had a sniper rifle…Colette would have… RAZOR BLADES! Okay… I'm done…_

**Warnings:**_ None really. Just the same old things._

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Zelos stopped smiling immediately as he saw an angered Lloyd glaring at him with his swords withdrawn. Lloyd ran up to Zelos and thrust his sword at him, close to Zelos' neck. Zelos quickly raised his arms above his head in submission. He gulped slowly, afraid that it would cause the sword to pierce his skin.

"Whoa! Lloyd! Come on, I'm not that bad of a person am I?" Zelos asked, still keeping his eyes on Lloyd's sword.

"What do you call this?" Lloyd asked pointing to his nose with his other hand.

Zelos lowered his hands and glared at Lloyd. "Okay, buddy! Now look here!" Zelos said pointing a finger at Lloyd. "In case you didn't notice, I've got stupid little guards that follow me everywhere I go. They practically monitor what type of contents come out of my rear. If I would have been nice to my competition for Colette, they would report it to my kingdom and I would never hear the end of it."

Lloyd moved to see behind Zelos as if he was expecting to see someone behind him. "If they follow you around everywhere, then where are they?" Lloyd asked, disbelieving.

"I told them that I was going to the bathroom." Zelos replied.

"But you just said…"

"I know what I said, and that was an example. They don't actually come into the bathroom with me. Man, you are weird." Zelos said. "Anyway, I climbed out the bathroom window. Those idiots are probably standing outside the door thinking I have a major case of diarrhea."

"So all of that stuff you did and said earlier. You didn't mean any of it?" Lloyd asked, lowering his swords.

"Of course I didn't mean it! My country is full of buttheads so I had to be a butthead. It's as simple as that." Zelos replied. Lloyd sheathed his swords, and stared at Zelos as if he was inspecting something on his face. "But I wasn't kidding about marrying Colette." Zelos blurted out suddenly. Lloyd was shocked to hear this. "I've know Colette for a long time. Even though I am being forced to marry her, I honestly love her. I'm sorry Lloyd. Colette and I were talking about this the other day actually. She's not into me as much as I'm into her. She would prefer to be with you."

"That is not going to happen. I'm a commoner." Lloyd said coldly. The very thought of the stupid law pissed him off.

"Yeah, I know." Zelos replied.

"How can you…"

"Hey! It's the truth isn't it? You don't have a chance with her! That's why you'd be lucky if I married her. I would let you see her as much as you wanted, because I know how you feel about her. I can't blame you either. I know you both have to make a sacrifice here, but it is not only you that you need to concentrate on here. There's a whole nation that rides on this." Zelos placed his hands on Lloyd's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Just consider her and yourself lucky that it's only me and not some other jerk." Zelos said to him sternly.

Lloyd looked down at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with Zelos. As much as he hated to admit it, the fool was right. This would not only help himself and Colette, it would also help both of the nations. Sylvarant would begin to get back up on its feet and Tethe'alla would have access to their trade routes. Both of the nations would have support from each other if a war broke out. Lloyd looked back up at Zelos as he figured something out.

"Do you have to join in the war we're having with Derris-Kharlan?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh, that. Yeah…" Zelos replied in a disappointed tone. "They're probably back up at the castle signing the treaty right now. Tethe'alla's army will have to join Sylvarant tomorrow. So, I'll be fighting alongside you Lloyd. At least I'll know someone out there."

"Tomorrow! I thought it was going to be near the end of the week!" Lloyd yelled. A few people stopped to see what was going on. Zelos motioned for him to quiet down. Some people started to gather around them, waiting to see what was going to happen. Zelos grabbed Lloyd by the arm and dragged him into an alleyway to get away from the people.

"Look, your King is a real bozo all right? He's not telling anyone until tomorrow morning. He doesn't want to start a panic and he doesn't want…" Zelos paused to make sure no one was walking up on them before he continued. "He doesn't want his people to start fleeing so they can avoid the war. The Derris-Kharlan army is three time the size of Sylvarant's. Finally, your King did the math and realized that if every man within the vicinity and every man in Tethe'alla fought against them, then we'd have a better chance at winning."

Lloyd slammed his fist on a nearby wall. "Figures! We are all just his little pawns after all. Does being the best really matter that much?" Lloyd asked himself.

"No. He's doing it for Colette." Zelos replied.

"Colette? What?" Lloyd looked anxiously at Zelos, waiting for an answer. Why wasn't anything making sense?

"Listen. When he insulted the King of Derris-Kharlan, he swore on Colette's life that he would never be overcome by them." Zelos replied. "If they win this battle, then they will surely kill Colette to prove a point. That's why he's doing all of this."

"That's just a cover up to make himself sound good, it's not a justification!" Lloyd yelled.

"I know how you feel but there's nothing either one of us can do now. The army of Derris-Kharlan is probably on its way right now. We should just accept what is going to happen. We win the battle tomorrow, with many lives lost. However, Colette will be safe and everything will return to normal." Zelos said, trying to assure Lloyd.

"Like hell it will! Derris-Kharlan won't stop until they've killed every breathing thing within the nation!" Lloyd said, continuing to shout. "I'm going to talk to the King. Maybe he can hurry and get Colette out of here before the army arrives. At least she would live." Lloyd made to leave but Zelos grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Look, I know you're pissed off right now. We cannot do anything about it Lloyd!" Lloyd yanked his arm away from Zelos, and pushed Zelos away from him.

"We'll see about that." Lloyd said coldly.

"No Lloyd! You don't understand!" Zelos shouted at him.

"I understand perfe…"

A loud horn interrupted Lloyd in the middle of his sentence and cut him off. Lloyd and Zelos quickly made their way back to the main part of the city. They looked in the distance the horn was coming from. On top of the city wall stood the guard blowing it. In the distance, black smoke covered the sky. It was not too far from the city.

The crowd of people gathered in front of the drawbridge parted as the King and Colette made their way through them. Lloyd watched Colette, hoping to catch her eye to find out what was going on. Without noticing him, Colette walked quickly past Lloyd, following her father.

"What is going on?" The King asked the guard who was blowing the horn.

The guard lowered his mouth from the horn and looked down at the King, fear spread across his face. "It's Derris-Kharlan! Their army is here!"

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**Author's Note:**_ Ah! The power of cliffhangers! Should I stop doing that at the end of the chapters? I mean seriously. It keeps me guessing too! I wanna hurry up and post the next chapter, but I can't cause it's not written yet! I don't even start to write it until I am positive that it's only going to get a certain amount of reviews. When I think I have received them all, then I write. I just wait to see if anyone has any ideas, you know. Anyway, big surprises later on! And when I say big, I mean big. It's gonna be fun!_

_Please review!_


	5. The Battle Begins

**Requiem**

_The Battle Begins_

**Disclaimer:**_ Don't own Tales of Symphonia, but one day… one day… I will… actually, I don't know what I'll do…I wonder... If I did own Tales of Symphonia, then maybe... Ooh! I got it! Okay, Kratos is an alien in a human's body, which would make Lloyd part alien! Anna's a martian! Zelos is aPimp DaddyJedi, and Yggdrasill is Dark Elvader! O-kay... um... No more watching Scooby-Doo for me... _

**Warnings:**_ None in this one. Just a stupid a King who poorly runs a country, but that's nothing new._

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Lloyd stood next to Zelos, panic stricken. So, this is what Zelos had been trying to tell him. The army was already here. Why hadn't he tried to listen to him before it was too late? Well, the King would not have to worry about people trying to leave now. The Derris-Kharlan army was surely blockading the way out of the nation. The one thing that worried Lloyd the most was that the Tethe'alla army was not here yet. What would they do if the war started the next morning with no help at all? The only thing Lloyd could think now was, '_This sucks.'_

"Why is the Derris-Kharlan army here? We haven't done anything to them!" One man in the crowd shouted at the King. Many other people were shouting similar things, except most of them were using different words that were much cruder. The King turned around and held up his hands to silence everyone.

"It seems they have decided to declare a war with us." He said to them. Panicked voices aroused throughout the crowd, and the King had to silence them again. "Do not fret! We have the aid of the Tethe'alla army on our side. They are on their way as we speak."

"What a lying little bas…" Lloyd started to say. Zelos slapped a hand over Lloyd's mouth as a guard in front of him turned around to see what he was saying. The guard looked over at Zelos in confusion. Zelos pointed to Lloyd then twirled his finger around the side of his head, motioning that Lloyd was crazy. The guard nodded, looked at Lloyd in a pathetic way, and then turned back around.

Zelos took his hand away from Lloyd's mouth, and then crossed his arms against his chest. He glared at Lloyd, not in a mad way, but more in a way as if Lloyd were stupid. "You have to watch what you are about to say. You never know who is watching and what they might do to you." Zelos scolded.

"I think these people have the right to know the truth." Lloyd replied sternly.

"Well think about it. What would you do if you were the King? He's got a reputation to hold up, and he would look bad if everyone knew the truth right after he just got done signing a peace treaty with another nation. Although, I wouldn't have been stupid enough to insult the King of Derris-Kharlan. A fatal mistake." Zelos shook his head as he looked over at the King who was trying to calm everyone down.

"I don't even get why he insulted the King of Derris-Kharlan. Why would anyone do that? It just makes them look stupid." Lloyd stated.

"Yeah, well. I think we should discuss this another time. He's coming this way." Zelos said as he nodded toward the King. Sure enough, the King and Colette were walking back through the crowd and back up toward their castle. This time Colette stopped at Lloyd and Zelos, noticing them among the crowd.

"Lloyd! Zelos! Isn't this awful!" Colette exclaimed.

"Yeah, but your fool of a father didn't help matters at all did he?" Lloyd asked in a disgusted tone.

Colette looked down at the ground. "I know. I know this is his fault. But sometimes being the King means you have to make rash decisions."

"Your life is in danger because of him!" Lloyd yelled at her.

Colette looked away from him as tears started to welt up in her eyes. Lloyd's heart sunk. He caused her to cry. Had he gone a little too far? He walked up to Colette and wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her.

"Colette… I'm sorry. It's just… It's just I don't want anything to happen to you." Lloyd stated calmly. A lump rose in his throat as he thought about what it would be like if he ever lost her. She was the only reason why he was still alive. If he had not have met her, he would have killed himself, or he would have died from being lonely.

"Can I join in?" Zelos asked sarcastically. "I love group hugs."

Lloyd let go of Colette and managed to laugh at Zelos' remark. Colette wiped away her tears and smiled for the first time in a long while. Lloyd decided he would be just fine with Zelos marrying Colette. Now that he knew the real Zelos. He still disliked the Zelos he had met earlier that day. They would all be happy to a point after the war. Lloyd would not get the girl of his dreams, but she would be in good hands.

The Cardinal of the Sylvarant army stood in front of the crowd holding a long piece of parchment. It fell down to the ground and lay in a curled pile at the Cardinal's feet. The crowd grew quiet as they waited for what he was going to say to them. It was surely going to be something about the war.

"As much as the kingdom of Sylvarant hates to do this, it is in fact a necessity. I will need all males over the age of ten from each family to participate in the war. If we want to stand a chance against the Derris-Kharlan army, then this must be done." The Cardinal announced to them. Many shouts erupted from the crowd. Ignoring the jeering of the crowd, the Cardinal continued. "If you do not participate, the male members of the family will face a life sentencing in the dungeons. Ex-army civilians will face the death penalty if they do not participate as well. Although some lives will be lost, we will at least have control over our nation. If Derris-Kharlan took over, your sons and husbands would die, along with everyone else here. I have a list of everyone's names that will be required to participate in the war." The Cardinal held up the piece of parchment he was holding in his hand. He began to slowly read off everyone's name, and Lloyd's name was called of course. Zelos would have to participate, even if the Tethe'alla army did not arrive in time.

"This is horrible." Colette said sadly as the sun began to set. "You both have to go out into the battle field tomorrow morning because of me. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be Colette. I accept my fate, and I'm going to go through with this. I promise I will be looking into your face again tomorrow evening." Lloyd said to her.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll watch Lloyd's back for you. We wouldn't want your best bud to go belly up now would we." Zelos added sarcastically.

"Hey! What am I? A fish?" Lloyd argued playfully. He fake punched Zelos in the shoulder. Colette smiled at them.

"You promise?" She asked.

"We promise." Lloyd and Zelos replied at the same time.

The streets of Sylvarant were crowded the next morning. Most of them were teenagers and men equipping themselves with armor and weapons. Zelos and Lloyd stood back watching all of them. Lloyd's only defense were his two swords that still hung on his sides. Zelos was equipped with a silver sword, and a small shield was strapped to his right arm. A guard walked up to them and looked at them as if they were crazy.

"Aren't you going to use any armor?" He asked eyeing them suspiciously.

"Trust me. If anyone can scar our pretty faces, then they deserve to kill us." Zelos replied.

The guard's jaw dropped after Zelos said this. After staring at them for a few seconds, the guard finally shrugged and walked off.

About half an hour later, all of the men had been asked to gather in front of the drawbridge. Wives and daughters watched through their windows in their homes. Many of them were crying for fear of the loss of loved ones.

"Do not show them any mercy! For you will receive none! Be aware that the cloaked Derrans excel in the use of magic and illusions…" The Cardinal's voice was droned out by the continuous murmur of the crowd of men, and the wailing of the women.

"Just let us out dammit! I wanna kick some Derris-Kharlan ass!" Zelos shouted over the crowd. A few men near Zelos roared in agreement.

"Then get ready." Lloyd said.

The drawbridge to the city slowly lowered to the ground. The Derris-Kharlan army was now visible. Black smoke now covered the sky completely. The army was waiting at the horizon. At the front of the army were the cloaked soldiers on their eerie looking horses. Behind them waited the rest of the army, which stood on foot. Lloyd hoped that he would live to see the next day as he and Zelos crossed over into the battlefield.

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**Author's Note:**_ That was a fairly long chapter. Well, now the battle is beginning, and the story may possibly be coming to its conclusion. Just kidding! It's still got about four more chapters at least. Maybe five or six. But hold on to your seats people! Here we go!_

_Please review! _

_By the way, I made that Disclaimer especially for you Fan Fan Girl. What will you do this time? But I can't believe you killed Yuan! NOOO! Who cares... He's a jerk anyway. I've never seen someone who could review with characters and keep them in personality. You should write sometime! It would be hilarious!_

_I know I'm evil Sheenachi, that's why I write. If I didn't, then who knows what I would be like? I might be on the streets right now with an uzie (sp?) or something. Just kidding! Beware people, Metal Gear Solid messes with your head. BEWARE!_

Bob the chipmunk! Don't ask...


	6. The Night of the Requiem

**Requiem**

_Night of the Requiem_

**Disclaimer:**_ Nope, don't own Tales of Symphonia..._

**Warnings:**_ Um... Um... Um... just read... okay?_

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The drawbridge closed behind the Sylvarant army after the last couple of men crossed over. Beside Lloyd and Zelos were a few teenagers. Only one of them was holding his sword properly, or more so in an acceptable position. This was most definately suicide. Many of these boys, if not all of them, would die in this battle. Reputation or not, their so called King would have some major damage control to attend to. Zelos snorted at the sickness of the site, and tapped the side of his sword scabbard out of frustration.

"You think that we even stand a chance?" Lloyd asked Zelos even though he already knew what the answer would be.

"Well..." Zelos stopped to think then continued. "If a snowball stands a chance in hell, then yeah. I'd say we stand a terrific chance." He answered sarcastically and with a hint of disgust. He looked around and cursed under his breath when he spotted a child no older than eleven wearing armor that was way too big for him. "Look at this! It's disgusting! When I become King all of this is going to change. I'll have highly trained soldiers so no more beautiful women will have to suffer."

Lloyd sighed and shook his head at Zelos although he couldn't help but manage a small smile. "Only you could think of women at a time like this. At least you lighten up the mood a little bit."

"Hey! Don't talk about me as if I've been with tons of women!" Zelos yelled at Lloyd.

"Well, haven't you?" Lloyd asked after recovering from Zelos' sudden out burst. You've got that reputation of being a womanizer and a gigolo." Lloyd stated.

"Er..." Zelos blushed slightly and looked away from Lloyd.

"What?" Lloyd asked, his curiousity getting the best of him.

"I..." Zelos sighed and took a deep breath. "I'm a virgin." Zelos replied flatly and quietly.

"Really!" Lloyd laughed and slapped Zelos on the back. "And here I thought I was alone in this world!"

Zelos managed a weak smile. The war wasn't the thing that was bothering him, at least, not the thing bothering him the most. This was not meant to be. Lloyd should be the one marrying Colette, not him. This was the first time that Zelos had not felt selfish in his decision. The only thing he wanted more than Colette, was for Colette to be happy and she could never receive that if she married him. Maybe if Lloyd became a knight then he would have a chance with her. However, a knight competing against a prince was still a hard title to beat.

"What's wrong Zelos?" Lloyd asked looking up at him after he noticed the seriousness in Zelos' face.

Zelos quickly smiled like he had always done and laughed as if they had just heard a good joke. "Oh, nothing. I'm just being as clueless as ever." Lloyd eyed Zelos suspiciously, but just as Zelos had hoped, Lloyd shrugged and dropped the subject.

The ground vibrated underneath them as the army of Derris-Kharlan steadily approached. Their army was completely visable now. In front and leading the army were the hooded riders. Around a dozen horses walked in a straight line with the riders on their backs. Behind them was the rest of the army which was made up of foot soldiers. They wore silver helmets that were shaped like skulls. On their breast plates was a figure of a bleeding skeleton surrounded by demons. The presence of the whole army was the absolute worst thing that anyone could ever experience or see on the face of the planet. No one survived their wrath, and yet the King of Sylvarant thought that they would survive. They might have a chance if the Tethe'allan army were to show up soon, but the chances of that were slim.

Suddenly, the ground became still and everything became dead quiet. All that could be heard was the clinking of armor that was making noise due to the nervousness of the humane men. All of the comforting sounds of nature wer gone. Lloyd had seen this all, and it had been only two days before this. He had hoped that he would never have to experience it again. Yet, here he was, smack dab in the middle. The feeling would probably haunt him forever if he lived.

The two armies stood still, staring at each other. Some of the men were glowering at the unseen eyes of the Derrans. Lloyd say it as a pointless effort. _How the hell did battles start anyway? Which side moves first? Wait... this isn't chess! _Lloyd had no idea how any of this worked. While standing there trying to figure it out, Lloyd's questions were answered. A cloaked soldier from Derris-Kharlan marched his horse forward and met Sylvarant's Cardinal in the middle of the battlefield. Lloyd guessed that the man on the horse was the leader of the Derran army for the time being. Once it seemed that the two were done talking, the Cardinal steered his horse around and rejoined the Sylvarant army. However, the Derran leader stood still, staring in Lloyd's direction. It was the exact same feeling that Lloyd had experienced before. The hair on the back of Lloyd's neck rose as he felt the man's eyes bearing down on him. It was the same one that had attacked him before, Lloyd was sure of it. As if he could read Lloyd's mind, the man nodded, the turned his horse around and galloped back to the Derran army.

"What do you think that was about?" Zelos asked curiously.

"He wants me to fight him." Lloyd answered. Zelos stared down at Lloyd with a blank expression. "He attacked me the other day. It was on the day I met you. He knew that there was going to be a war before it was officially anounced."

"So that's why you looked like crap that day! Oh, did that slip out?" Zelos joked.

Lloyd stood still staring at Zelos. How long before it sinks into the knuckle head's small brain? Five... Zelos started laughing at Lloyd as if he had made a major diss on him. Four... Three... Two... One... Zelos stopped laughing and his eyes widened with horror. Zero...

"You got attacked by a Derran and lived!" Zelos yelled causing a few nearby people to turn and look in their direction. "Holy cow! I'm staying next to you!" Zelos moved closer to Lloyd. "Of course I want you to know that this is only so I can... um... protect you! It has nothing to do with me wanting to be protected. Because I, the Great Zelos, do not need protection." Zelos stated trying to lighten the mood.

However, this time Lloyd was not able to smile.

The Cardinal rode up and down the ranks of the Sylvarant army on his horse. He had not been able to negotiate a deal with the Derran leader. The Derran army was focused on killing each and every one of them under the orders of their King. Although they would not have a good chance of winning, due to the absence of the Tethe'allan army, the Cardinal ordered them to fight as if their very souls were at stake. Maybe then they would stand a chance.

Finally, the moment came that everyone was dreading. On the Cardinal's orders, the Sylvarant army rushed toward the Derran army with their weapons raised and with the voices of the enraged and frightened men ringing throughout the battlefield. The Derran army did the same thing. The hooded riders trampled over the first line of Sylvarant soldiers in front of them. The Derran leader forced his horse to jump over the line of men, slashing a few as he flew over their heads. Not wanting to face the leader who had an advantage, Zelos picked up an abandoned spear. Seconds before the Derran leader reached them, Zelos thrust the spear into the horse's chest causing it to flip over and throw the Derran leader to the ground a few feet away. The Derran leader quickly picked himself up from the ground, drew his sword, and stabbed a nearby soldier out of rage.

The Derran leader ripped the black cloak from around his neck and chunked it to the side. His auburn hair hung low and dangled in front of his deadly looking scarlet eyes. He was dressed in a black tunic, tight black pants, brown boot, and black gauntlets with silver embedded on the top of his hand.

Lloyd turned his back on the Derran leader as enemy soldiers ran up to him and slashed at him with their blunt swords. He sucessfully dodged the attacks, and slashed the soldiers in their chest with his twin blades.

All around him Lloyd could hear the painful death cries from fallen men. Men of all ages were in heaps around him, and they were all from both armies. There was no difference between any of them. Why did the world have to be this way? Why couldn't everyone just get along? Lloyd pushed his personal thoughts to the back of his mind and ignored them. Although he knew that it would haunt him for the rest of his life if he survived, Lloyd continued to slay the Derran soldiers around him.

Suddenly, a loud cry rang out from behind Lloyd. He recognized the voice almost instantly.

"Someone help me!" Zelos screamed in agony. Zelos was kneeling on the ground gripping his head and his body was shaking uncontrollably. The leader of the Derran army slowly approached him with his sword at his side and his eyes still fixed on Zelos.

"Hmph. A worthless one." The Derran leader said with disgust. He stopped in front of Zelos and glared down at him. He stuck his sword under Zelos' chin and forced him to raise his head up. "So you are the Prince of Tethe'alla. Then you shall receive the noble death that you deserve." The Derran leader stated coldly in his deep voice.

"NO!" Lloyd screamed.

Lloyd tried to make his way past the miniature fights that were taking place in front of him that divided him from Zelos. Lloyd shoved men out of his way as he made his way past them. Just inches away from Zelos' rescue, another Sylvarant soldier tumbled backwards and landed ontop of Lloyd, pining him to the ground.

Lloyd watched in horror as the Derran leader drew back his sword and at that very second, his heart stopped. The Derran leader thrust his sword through Zelos' throat. Zelos automatically gripped the part of the sword in front of him. Blood slowly started to pour from his mouth and down his face. His hands began to bleed from gripping the sword tightly. Without any hesitation or any sign of sympathy, the Derran leader yanked his sword from Zelos' neck, then kicked his body to the ground.

"ZELOS!" Lloyd screamed.

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**Author's Note:**_ DON'T KILL ME! It had to be done... I didn't enjoy doing that... But... It just had to be done... There's a reason why too! Just please keep reading on and you'll see why. Plus, who ever said that this was the end of Zelos? Hehehe... Do I have you wondering yet? I think he might make another appearance or two. MWAHAHA!_


	7. Allegro

**Requiem**

_Allegro_

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Tales of Symphonia for the ten thousandth time!_

**Warnings:**_ Descriptive war scenes and a lot of anger._

**To the Readers:**_ I'm sorry it has taken so long to update. Please forgive me. I've been pretty busy cause life hit me pretty hard since I turned 16. But anyway, here's the long awaited chapter..._

_

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Lloyd charged headstrong at the Derran leader and slammed him into the ground. His swords flew out of his hands from the impact, but he did not need them. His fists were flailing, hardly even hitting the Derran leader.

Suddenly, a strong force knocked Lloyd back a few feet and off of the Derran leader. As Lloyd hit the ground a loud snap could be heard when his arm hit the ground before he did. Lloyd screamed in agony from the pain, blood running down his arm where the bone was sticking out.

The Derran leader jumped to his feet and grasped his sword. He slowly approached Lloyd and hovered over him, his eyes blazed over with anger.

"Just a mindless boy who seems to have learned nothing from our last encounter. Worthless." He spat coldly.

The Derran leader raised his sword above him, ready to thrust it into Lloyd to take his life.

The air grew warm all around, and the sky began to light up. Rays shot down from the sky, striking the battlefield in random places. Killing those from Derris-Kharlan and those from Sylvarant.

Above the castle wall, hovering in the sky was an angel. A golden light surrounded her, her blonde hair flowing with the air, and her light wings fluttered quickly. Lloyd recognized her almost immediately. The Derran leader seemed to recognize her as well. He lowered his sword slowly, down to his side.

"The princess..." He said quietly.

Quickly, the Derran leader sheathed his sword and took a strange stance that Lloyd had never seen before. Blue wings sprouted from his back and a golden light surrounded him as he began to chant something, something that Lloyd did not understand. Knowing what was going to happen Lloyd jumped to his feet and positioned himself in front of the Derran leader.

"Forget about me?" Lloyd asked. Before the Derran leader had time to react, Lloyd punched him directly in the face and knocked him back onto the ground. The wings and the golden light disappeared from around the Derran leader as his spell was cancelled.

The Derran leader jumped to his feet once again, this time even more annoyed. "You just will not learn, will you boy?" A red light gathered in the Derran leader's hand and he drew back to throw it at Lloyd. Just as he was about to release the fire ball, people started to shout.

No one had noticed that the draw bridge had been lowered in the heat of the battle. Everyone ceased fighting as soon as they saw what was happening. The King of Sylvarant was standing on the battlefield alone with none of his guards around him.

The Derran leader quickly left Lloyd and approached the King, giving him a rather sloppy bow.

"And to what do I owe this honor to encounter my foe on a battlefield such as this." He said with a sly grin on his face.

"I want you to stop your men from killing mine." The King replied quickly.

The Derran leader straightened up. "I am truly sorry, but that is something that I cannot promise. You see, I only lead my men to the battle. Once we get here, I no longer control them. You would have to do something that pleases them, as well as myself."

"I was afraid you would say something like that." The King said. "What would you agree to?"

The Derran leader took no hesitation at answering this at all. "Your death." The soldiers from Derris-Kharlan began to laugh in agreement, but their laugh was so evil that it was almost unbearable.

The King looked at the ground for sometime until he seemed to come to a conclusion. "If I allow you to kill me, then would you promise to stop killing my men?"

The battlefield grew silent with the exception of the few gasps that rang out through the silence. Even the Derran leader looked surprised at the King's request. Lloyd started to approach the King but the Derran leader held him back with a fatal glare.

"Are you suggesting that I should kill you to forgive what you have said about our King, and to leave Sylvarant alone? There has to be more to it than that, which I am sorry say. Our King wants your daughter, dead." The Derran leader said coldly.

"You may kill me, and you may take my daughter just do not kill her. That is all I ask. In return you will leave Sylvarant alone." The King said quickly.

Panic ran throughout Lloyd. How could the King give his own life away, and on top of that how could he give his daughter away at the same time? It was an outrage!

"Wait!" Lloyd yelled.

"You dare to get involved?" The Derran leader warned.

"Yes, I do. You should already know that this is unfair. Take the King's life for God's sake, but don't take his daughter as well. You have already taken one life that is as important as hers, and I think that should even things up as of now." Lloyd argued.

The King gazed at Lloyd in wonderment.

"You are speaking of the prince of Tethe'alla, are you not?" The Derran leader asked.

"I am. The King's life and the life of a prince. It is more than enough to settle this." Lloyd replied.

Both armies stood quietly, listening intently to the conversation.

Finally, the Derran leader sheathed his sword. "That will do for now. At the present time I will allow your King to live. This is a matter that I must discuss over with my King. There would be no point in taking a life at this time if it would mean nothing. I shall return in two days time with the news. Until then..." The Derran leader held out his hand for Lloyd to shake it.

Lloyd hesitated at first, but after a few minutes he decided that it would not kill him. Lloyd grasped the Derran leader's hand and shook it.

"Until then." He replied.

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**Author's Note:**_ Ok, that was kinda long in my opinion... I hope you liked it though. There is going to be a major plot twister in the next chapter though. MAJOR! I promise, it'll be one of the few that I intend to have. Hopefully I will update before the end of the week. ._


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